Network Colchester
Network Colchester is a Tellings-Golden Miller bus operating company. TGM have upgraded the fleet, and it is no longer the second from bottom bus company, profit wise. Its main operations are Colchester town services in competition with First Essex, Essex County Council and Suffolk County Council contract services. The company has its roots in 1904 with the establishment of Colchester Corporation Tramways, operating, at its peak, 4 routes and 18 trams. Bus operation started up in 1928 as Colchester Corporation Transport to replace the trams, the first route to be axed being High Street - East Gates followed by Lexden - North Station, North Station - Hythe and North Station - Recreation Ground. With bus deregulation in 1986 the company was renamed Colchester Borough Transport and became an arms length division of the council. In 1993, during a bus war with Eastern National (later First Essex), the company was sold to British Bus for the sum of £1, but the new owners took on considerable debts. After discussions the bus war ended in 1994 with a share out of routes between the two companies. In 1996 British Bus was taken over by the Cowie Group, which in 1997 became Arriva, the company being rebranded as Arriva Colchester, the Tuscan red & cream livery being replaced by Arriva corporate colours. Profits did not improve and the company was sold to Tellings Golden Miller (TGM) in 2004, placed under the control of Burton's Coaches and rebranded as Network Colchester. The introduction of a pair of Scania N230UD chassied East Lancs Olympus double-deckers in 2008 saw the first appearance of the Network Colchester.com fleetname. Ironically, in 2008, Arriva bought Tellings, bringing ownership full circle. The Network Colchester name has continued however. In early 2010 the Burton's Coaches operations were sold to their management by TGM but ownership of Network Colchester remained with the TGM Group. Depots The depot was at Magdalen Street, Colchester until March 2008. It was then relocated to expanded premises, previously Supreme Coaches, at Heath Business Park, Grange Way in the Old Heath district of Colchester. This depot was taken on by Network Colchester long before the closure of Magdalen Street. The Magdalen street depot is now used by First Essex. Registered routes ''Correct as of 22 August 2012' *1/1A: Colchester Town Service: Greenstead Elm Cresent (1A) or Hamlet Drive (1) - Town Centre - Ambrose Ave - Prettygate *2: Colchester Town Service: Horkesley Heath - Town Centre - High Woods Tesco Store *2B: Colchester Town Service: Boxted - Horkesley Heath - Town Centre - High Woods Tesco Store *2C: Colchester Town Service: High Woods Tesco Store - St Johns - Town Centre - North Station - General Hospital *6: Colchester Town Service: Old Heath(Grange Way) - Town Centre *8/8A: Colchester Town Service: Monkwick - Town Centre - North Station - General Hospital- High Woods *8B: Colchester Town Service: Monkwick - Town Centre - North Station - General Hospital - Severalls - High Woods *8C: Colchester Town Service: Monkwick - Town Centre - Mile End - General Hospital *602 (Changed From 9): Colchester Town Service: Head Street - Gilberd School *50: Layer de-la-Haye - Maypole Green - Colchester Bus Station ECC *50A/50C: Tollesbury - Layer de-la-Haye - Maypole Green - Colchester Bus Station ECC *66: North Station - Town Centre - Rowhedge *67B: West Bergholt - North Station - Town Centre - Peldon - West Mersea *70: Braintree - Marks Tey - Stanway - Lexden - Colchester Town Center *74B: North Station - Town Centre - Hythe - Wivenhoe - St Osyth - Clacton-On-Sea *75: Colchester Bus Station - Stanway Zoo - Tiptree - Heybridge - Maldon *76: Colchester - Hythe - Elmstead Market - Weeley - Clacton-on-Sea *78: Colchester - Hythe - Arlesford - Brightlingsea *88: North Station - Town Centre - Aldham - Wakes Colne - Earls Colne - Halstead *88B: Town Centre - Eight Ash Green - Fordham (Saturday Terminus) - Little Tey *102: Colchester - Dedham - Manningtree - Dovercourt - Harwich *105/107/109: Colchester - Thorpe-le-Soken - Frating (109) - Tendring(105/107_ - Great Bromley - Walton ECC *115: Weeley - Tendring Technology College (Lower School) via Little Clacton *133: Airport Service: University Of Essex - North Station - Marks Tey - Braintree - Great Dunmow - Stansted Airport *701: Harwich (Lighthouse) - Colchester (Norman Way Schools) *703: Jaywick (Tamarisk Way) - Colchester (Norman Way Schools) *704: Great Holland (Baptist Church) - Colchester (Norman Way Schools) See also *List of bus operators of the United Kingdom References External links *Network Colchester Website Category:Transport in Essex Category:Bus operators in England Category:Companies established in 1904 Category:Colchester Category:Arriva Group bus operators in England